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Authoritarian governments that reach across borders to persecute their own citizens did so at a greater rate last year, particularly in Southeast Asia and East Africa, a human rights group charged Thursday.

"Small island, big dreams" reads a poster for the football team of the Caribbean island of Curacao -- the smallest country ever, by population, to qualify for football's World Cup.

"Chat, who is the best candidate?": Six months out from Brazil's presidential election, AI chatbots are still answering such questions in defiance of new electoral rules banning them from giving voting tips.

Golden State star Stephen Curry scored the go-ahead three-pointer with 50 seconds left as the Warriors rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 and stay alive in the NBA play-in on Wednesday.

Russian strikes killed at least 14 people in Ukraine, local authorities said Thursday, after Moscow rained missiles and drones on its neighbour in overnight attacks.

Could planes soon be stuck on the ground due to a lack of fuel? The risk of jet fuel shortages is growing each day the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, although it isn't certain when exactly supplies will run out.

Gian Piero Gasperini's tenure as Roma coach is already under threat as a feud with Claudio Ranieri dominates the lead up to Saturday's clash with Atalanta, which could be decisive to the capital club's hopes of reaching the Champions League.

The president of the Curacao football federation, Gilbert Martina, has told AFP that the tiny Caribbean country's road to the World Cup has been a "divine journey" which began at the start of the century.

The NBA fined Charlotte star LaMelo Ball $35,000 on Wednesday for "unnecessary and reckless contact" with Miami's Bam Adebayo during the Hornets' play-in win over the Heat.

The first images of late American film star Val Kilmer returning to the big screen courtesy of artificial intelligence were unveiled Wednesday in Las Vegas, in what will likely stir debate over the technology's role in Hollywood.

China's economy expanded more than expected in the first three months of the year, with official data Thursday indicating resilience in the face of a Middle East crisis that threatens to hit global growth.

The demise of a second Super Rugby team in just three years because of financial problems is a disappointment but also an "opportunity" and could make the competition stronger, coaches said Thursday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war.

Police in London arrested two people on Wednesday over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in the north of the city, amid an upsurge in antisemitic incidents in Britain.

In a packed hall in Qamishli's sports stadium in northeast Syria, Firas Ahmad is one of dozens of Kurds waiting to apply for citizenship after many in the minority were barred from doing so for decades.

Famed US director Steven Spielberg offered a sneak peek of his upcoming film "Disclosure Day" Wednesday, his latest movie about aliens and humanity since he first tapped into the genre 50 years ago.

Overnight strikes killed three people including a boy in Ukraine and two children in Russia, officials from both countries said on Thursday.

Spain's Pedro Sanchez hosts a summit of world progressives this week with greater global clout as turbulent relations with US President Donald Trump bolster his image as a left-wing hero.

Pope Leo XIV was expected to pray for peace on Thursday in Cameroon's troubled northwest region, plagued by a near decade-long separatist insurgency.

When executives from luxury giant Kering sit down for an investors' day in Florence on Thursday, the troubled Italian fashion icon Gucci is likely to be foremost in their minds.

The Philadelphia 76ers held off the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday to book an NBA playoffs first-round meeting with the Boston Celtics.

Japanese stocks hit a record high as Asian equities extended the week's rally Thursday on heightened optimism the United States and Iran will extend their ceasefire for further talks to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Many filmmakers fear the existential threat of artificial intelligence, but in India the race is on to produce the first hit Bollywood feature generated by the technology.

Russia pummelled Ukraine with drone and missile attacks overnight, killing three including a child and triggering air alerts in the capital Kyiv, officials said Thursday.

A former US Marines pilot lost an appeal Thursday in an Australian court against his extradition to the United States, which has accused him of illegally training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers.

NSW Waratahs coach Dan McKellar says he "feels" for doomed Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika but their plight will not impact his game plan for their clash in front of Prince Harry on Friday.

LIV Golf on Wednesday moved to reassure players and staff that it remains fully funded, as reports circulated that the breakaway tour is on the verge of collapse due to the possible withdrawal of Saudi Arabian financing.

Drugs once hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's disease do not meaningfully help patients, a major review found Thursday, however some experts criticised the research.

Over the two decades since fracking started near their lands, farmers in the Mexican state of Veracruz have watched their orange and lime trees wilt away.

ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said dynamic fullback Tom Wright was looking "exceptionally good" as the Wallabies star prepares for his first match in eight months after knee surgery.

Towering columns of fire have engulfed a crucial Australian oil refinery after a chain of explosions, authorities said Thursday as they warned of disruptions to domestic fuel supply.

It's been dubbed the "Arc de Trump." But now President Donald Trump's latest building project has an official name -- the "United States Triumphal Arch."